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Exeter · United Kingdom

Car hire and driving in Exeter

Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.

OverviewFlightsHotelsTrainsBusesCar rentalTours

In United Kingdom traffic drives on the left. Picking up at CWL means 76 km (47 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1061257 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q3086706.

Drives from Exeter

Car rental from Exeter: distances and estimated journey times
RouteCountryDistanceEstimated time
Exeter to PlymouthUnited Kingdom59 km (36 mi)about 54 min
Exeter to CardiffUnited Kingdom88 km (54 mi)about 1 h 20 min
Exeter to NewportUnited Kingdom103 km (64 mi)about 1 h 34 min
Exeter to SwanseaUnited Kingdom104 km (65 mi)about 1 h 35 min
Exeter to BristolUnited Kingdom104 km (65 mi)about 1 h 35 min
Exeter to PooleUnited Kingdom109 km (67 mi)about 1 h 39 min
Exeter to BathUnited Kingdom109 km (68 mi)about 1 h 40 min
Exeter to BournemouthUnited Kingdom116 km (72 mi)about 1 h 46 min
Exeter to SouthamptonUnited Kingdom151 km (94 mi)about 2 h 18 min
Exeter to SwindonUnited Kingdom153 km (95 mi)about 2 h 20 min
Exeter to GloucesterUnited Kingdom155 km (96 mi)about 2 h 22 min
Exeter to CheltenhamUnited Kingdom165 km (103 mi)about 2 h 31 min
Exeter to LondonUnited Kingdom253 km (157 mi)about 3 h 51 min
Exeter to BerlinGermany1,183 km (735 mi)about 18 h 3 min
Exeter to MadridSpain1,146 km (712 mi)about 17 h 29 min
Exeter to RomeItaly1,570 km (975 mi)about 23 h 56 min
Exeter to ParisFrance470 km (292 mi)about 7 h 10 min
Exeter to HamburgGermany973 km (605 mi)about 14 h 50 min
Exeter to BudapestHungary1,674 km (1,040 mi)about 25 h 32 min
Exeter to WarsawPoland1,699 km (1,056 mi)about 25 h 55 min

Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.

Where to compare car hire

ExpediaCar hire from the major suppliers, and the one to look at if the flight or hotel is already booked there. Part of Expedia Group.Check car hire on Expedia (opens www.expedia.com in a new tab)
DiscoverCarsCompares local and international suppliers. Read the counter reviews before you pick.Check rental cars on DiscoverCars (opens www.discovercars.com in a new tab)
Auto EuropeA broker specialising in Europe, often with clearer all-in pricing for US renters.Get European rates on Auto Europe (opens www.autoeurope.com in a new tab)
Rentalcars.comBooking.com's car arm, with wide airport coverage worldwide.Compare suppliers on Rentalcars.com (opens www.rentalcars.com in a new tab)
Every link above leaves this site.

We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.

Common questions

Which side of the road do they drive on in Exeter?

The left, as everywhere in United Kingdom.

How are the journey times on this page worked out?

From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.

Where these facts come from

  • GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
  • Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
  • OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
  • Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines

Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.